NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new program at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center — the first of its kind — is preparing women for success beyond incarceration.
A partnership between the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) and the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) created the "Building Trades" class, new this year and the first construction program at any female prison in the state.
The class teaches the basics of construction, plumbing, and electrical, so that inmates will eventually be able to build a house themselves.
"So when I get out, I won't need a man! I'll be able to do everything!" said Margaret Roell.
She has 27 years left on her sentence, and says this class has been the best thing that's happened to her during her time.
"I've come to prison four different times, and I'm 34. So this right here, I'm trying to set the foundation. I'm trying to do anything and everything that I can benefit, you know?"
The class instructor, Erica Gray, says the goal is to prepare them for life after prison, especially when it comes to a male-dominated industry.
"You're not going to see a lot of women on a job site. But the ones you do see, they're there to work, they're there to grind," she explained.
"We know that 95% of TDOC offenders are going home, so why not invest in the person who could become your neighbor?" added the warden, Taurean James.
We're told the prison had this program over a decade ago, but for a long time, it wasn't an option — until now. It's still the only one in a female prison in the state.
The principal that oversees the class adds, this kind of education can drastically affect whether inmates return to prison, so it's an effort to better both the offender and society.
"If I can put myself out there to do the negative, I can most definitely succeed, if I set my mind to it, to do the positive," concluded Roell.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
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